There is something breathtakingly wonderful about a people coming together under one roof, to eat a meal, to talk together, to soak in the sunlight, to inhale coffee. My mother, youngest sister, Caroline, and I have made a tradition of it on Saturday mornings. Just us three for breakfast at la Madeleines. So much truth and growth have come from these mornings - when we linger, we slow down.

Sometimes, in this fast-paced society it's hard to remember that it's ok, it's better - to slow down. It's when we put down the phone and pick up the book, close the laptop and open the journal, ignore the noise and listen to the quiet -->> we have begun to really understand, to create, to move forward.

This past week I began a photography course with some of my favorite photographers - the Parsons. Just two weeks into this journey, I have learned so much about creative flow, inspiration, time-maneagement, and (very importantly)….the dangers of social media. I've begun to realize how much time i've wasted on social networking. It's like i've been so glued to that screen, that phone, that icon, that I've missed THAT moment - real moments happening NOW. Happening HERE. And it grieves my heart. To think that I could come to the point that only a screen, only likes, only comments matter to me. Not my sisters eyes, my mothers smile, that strangers presence. This realization has really changed how i'm approaching life - all of it.

I'm putting down the phone more, leaving the notifications un-checked, and reaching out. To life here. Life now.

Sometimes it's hard to remember why I do what I do. Why am I a photographer? Why do I take photos? Social media sometimes confuses my 'why'. Gets it all mixed up. But it's mornings like these - with family, with a meal, with the sun, with another breath the breathe - they make me see…this is why. This is why.

"Life is a dance, a song, a symphony, a choir . . . and what will you contribute? A timid coward’s music? Or something heartfelt, passionate, and full of energy and power?"

- Snow White

Amy is such dear, dear soul. She's that tanned skinned, hazel eyed, stunning brunette that makes more than one head turn. She's a photographer (go check out her website - her work is pretty incredible), a tea drinker, a fellow chocoholic, a great laugher, and a darling chum.

I met Amy this past summer when we both attended Jessica Shae's photography internship in June. I had known her younger sister through dance when I was 9, but never knew Amy till the internship. Amy and I, along with two other friends, all shared the same room at the workshop. Sometimes, when met with new people and new experiences I tend to worry about relating with others. What if we don't 'click?' What if she doesn't like me? What if I don't like her? No more than 10 minutes after meeting Amy I knew I'd been entirely wrong. What in heavens name was I worried about? Amy was a blast. She was bright and energetic, eager to get to know you, hilarious and quirky, but also passionate and sincere. And she made you want to pursue dreams with real spirit and fervor. By the end of 4 days with Amy, with all of the girls, I knew we were much more than just friends. We were sisters, we were 'best buds.' Since the internship, the "Shaeterns" have had a quite few reunions: in July, in November. And at each one we've all drawn closer and closer together.

These are from one of those reunions. It's one of the things I love about this thing I + a million others do - photography. It makes strangers best friends. Because they share a love for beauty, for telling good stories, and for making life count each and every day.

Hello there. I'm Elizabeth Bristol. And this is my blog. I've put off putting this thing out here really because I've been afraid. Afraid of what people would think, whether they would like it or not, afraid of not having enough to say, to post, to muse about, to give to the world, afraid of writing, photographing, editing, fixing, finalizing, thinking, polishing. Afraid of failing, afraid of creating.

But I have been growing and learning so so much over the course of this year, and this is one of them:

I want to make beautiful things, even if nobody cares.

— Saul Bass

You can't create anything beautiful if you're not willing to begin. To take a stab at it. To mess up, to make mistakes, get your hands dirty, to develop skill, to learn, to grow. Nothing truly beautiful comes the moment you begin. It takes time, it takes hard work. It takes the willingness to try new things, to let go and let God take the reigns. To let Him run the show ----->> if He's the one behind it, He will make it run. (better than I ever could)

So here's to creating. Here's to doing the scary + brave thing. The thing many are afraid of, few try, and everyone loves. Here's to the good, the bad and the ugly days of good, hard work. Of making something beautiful that points to the one true Beauty. Because it will pay off in the end. It will touch a heart, heal a wound, break a boundary, revive a soul, begin something new.